Jukeboxes typically consist of a cabinet which contains a display of the available recordings, a mechanism for accepting valid currency, a mechanism for making selections from the available recordings, a mechanism for conveying selected recordings to a player capable of playing the recordings, some form of control unit, and the necessary audio (or audio and video) circuitry and output devices to publicly perform the selected recording.
Historically, prior to the advent of microprocessors, jukeboxes would play selections in the order that they occurred in the magazine holding the records. Each time a selection was made a flag would be tripped at that record indicating that it should be played. As the magazine was rotated, looking for a record to play, it would stop on the first flag it passed. Later, as microprocessors took over the task of controlling jukebox mechanisms, other methods of sorting the order of selections came into being, including playing them in the sequence they are made or playing them in random order.
Typically, jukeboxes provide the customer with no way of knowing how much time will pass between when a selection is made and when it is actually played. It is an object of the present invention to provide the customer with a means to ensure that his selection will be played next. The customer pays extra for this added service, which enhances the earnings of the jukebox without actually playing more selections, thus benefitting both the customer and the operator.
Other objects and advantages of the present invention will become apparent as the description proceeds.